Chinese prospectors dig up site of disused jade plant in hunt for ‘treasure’

Chinese prospectors have dug more than 20 holes at the site of an abandoned jade processing plant over the past year hoping to uncover gemstones.

Some of the holes were up to two metres deep at the 400-square-metre site in Changping, a district in the northwest suburb of Beijing, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Residents hoped to uncover pieces of jade, crystal, agate and even highly prized calcite that were discarded while the plant was in use and sell them for large profits, the report said.

But some residents said the things found in the ground were mostly just leftover bits and pieces of gemstones that were worth very little.